


Sugar and Spice

by msraven



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Family, Family Fluff, Kid Fic, M/M, Single Parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-30
Updated: 2016-12-30
Packaged: 2018-09-13 05:00:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9107647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/msraven/pseuds/msraven
Summary: They sent four armed men after my daughter. You know me well enough to know there wasn't much thought in how I reacted.Clint may still be stumbling his way through being a good single dad, but he knows when it's time to listen to a trusted friend and seek help. The fact that help comes in the form of Agent Phil Coulson definitely makes it more palatable.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ralkana](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ralkana/gifts).



> Written as part of the 2016 Clint/Coulson Holiday Exchange. A gift fic for Ralkana who requested singledad!Clint. I hope you enjoy it.
> 
> Please note that this is an AU set roughly in the MCU timeline that uses bits from all the movies and AoS. It in no way attempts to stay within canon. The major change is that Clint never joined SHIELD and eventually (unknowingly) worked for Hydra.
> 
> Thank you, as always, to my amazing beta. (You know who you are <3)

*  
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^

"You're seriously kicking her out of school? For saving her friend's life?"

"Your daughter pushed a car into a tree."

"She deflected a drunk driver who had careened onto the sidewalk. Wanda _saved_ Erika's life and for that, you're expelling her?"

Clint looked at Wanda's teacher for support, but her jaw was already clenched in frustration—even if she wanted to help, there was nothing she could do. The principal sighed and drew Clint's attention back towards him.

"Mr. Barton," he said patiently, "There is more than your or our wishes to be considered in this matter. We must ensure the safety and well being of all the students, not just one. The other parents have filed a petition with the school board that cannot be ignored."

"So you're kicking my daughter out of school because a bunch of closed-minded parents signed a piece of paper?"

"There are other schools for children like her," the assistant principal interjected. Clint turned to face him, the force of his glare causing the other man's arrogant stance to wilt slightly. 

"Children like her?" Clint asked.

"Um… you know, mutants. They have special schools for kids like—uh, kids with powers."

"So if my daughter _were_ a mutant, are you saying she should be sent away in order to go to school? Be shut away from _normal_ kids and her family?"

"Of course not, Mr. Barton," the principal cut in smoothly. "All children are welcome here and we agree with your choice to keep Wanda close—she's a lovely child. This is why I've filed already an appeal with the board."

"You have?!" Mrs. Crumb and the assistant principal asked in surprised unison, but only Wanda's teacher was smiling widely. 

"I have. Unfortunately, these types of things tend to take longer than we'd all like. We ask you to be patient with us, Mr. Barton. I have confidence that the people of this community will do the right thing once the initial shock has worn off."

Clint looked at the principal intently, but saw only sincerity in his eyes. He nodded. "Okay. Thank you. I…" He took a deep breath and let some of the tension leave his shoulders. "Thank you," he said again. "I appreciate it. It'll probably be good for Wanda to get away for a while. I'll check back in with you after a few weeks."

Clint stood and shook the principal's hand when the other man also stood. He nodded at the others and turned to leave, only to be stopped by Mrs. Crumb holding out a large envelope.

"I thought Wanda would like to have this."

"What is it?"

"It's a petition." Clint raised his eyebrows, but Mrs. Crumb's smile only widened. "This one was signed by the children—to keep Wanda in the school. Erika started it and several left nice messages in addition to their signatures."

"Oh. Um, thanks."

Clint walked out of the principal's officer to where Wanda was waiting outside. She immediately scrambled off her chair and shoved her iPad into her bag, looking anxiously between Clint and the closed door. 

"Hey kiddo. Looks like we get to go on vacation for a little while." Wanda's expression dropped and Clint went to his knees in front of his daughter. "No. Hey, look at me." He cupped Wanda's cheek and wished he could will away the distraught look in her eyes. "This was not your fault. You didn't do anything wrong."

"I hurt that man."

"You _saved_ your friend. You didn't mean to hurt anyone. You were using your power for good and I don't want you to regret doing that. People don't always understand and so they're afraid. That doesn't mean you stop doing what's right. You saved Erika and probably a bunch of other kids from getting hurt. I'm proud of you."

Clint kept his relieved sigh internal as a small smile emerged on Wanda's face. "Really, Papa?"

"Of course I am, sweetheart. You did well controlling your power. I probably would have shoved him a little harder into the tree."

"Papa!" Wanda admonished with a laugh and Clint couldn't help but pull her into a hug. He turned at the sound of the door and found that Mrs. Crumb had emerged from the office.

"I was hoping to say goodbye."

"Oh, sure." Clint stood and started to step away, only to have Wanda grip his hand tightly. He looked down to find a familiar, far away look in her eyes. "Wanda?"

"Papa… There are men outside. Men with guns." Wanda blinked, her eyes cleared, and she looked up at Clint with concern.

He let out a resigned sigh and gently steered Wanda toward her teacher. "Mrs. Crumb, would you mind if Wanda stayed here with you for a few minutes?"

"O-of course," she responded and pulled Wanda close to her side. "Should we call the police?"

"Not yet. I'll be right back."

"Papa!" Wanda called out before he could walk away.

"Yeah, kiddo?"

"Don't hurt them too bad, okay?"

Clint had to bite back a grin as Mrs. Crumb's wide eyes widened further. "I won't. I promise."

He gave Wanda one more reassuring smile before he let a bland mask settle over his features as he strode calmly to the front doors of the school. Clint could see four men standing in front of two dark SUVs—clearly not standard law enforcement—none of them with their guns drawn. A glance at the sky showed no air support, which confirmed that they were not expecting any resistance. Two of the men still had larger rifles over their shoulders and Clint felt anger rise inside of him that they would dare come for his daughter like this. Wanda's words echoed in his ear and he forced himself to channel and control the anger. Clint opened the doors and kept his promise… mostly.

*  
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^

A few days later, Clint felt a familiar presence slide in next to him as he stood on top of a small hill and watched Wanda play frisbee with some kids. He didn't look away from the game as he spoke.

"That didn't take long. You were closer than I thought you were when you called."

"DC isn't that far from New York."

Clint hummed in acknowledgement before letting out a small, proud cheer as Wanda used her power to deflect the frisbee away from another kid's extended tentacle. Her aim was getting better.

"Xavier's School for the Gifted. Isn't this a bit like hiding in plain sight?"

Clint finally turned to look at his oldest friend. "I didn't think I needed to be hiding, Nat. Are you saying I should be?"

"Ross was already interested in Wanda and now he's interested in you."

"Me?"

"You took down four armed men before they'd even registered you as a threat. You had to have known it would spark their interest."

"They sent four armed men after my daughter. You know me well enough to know there wasn't much thought in how I reacted."

Natasha frowned and nodded down toward the children. "Is she really yours?"

"Wanda is my daughter. Does it matter how?"

"No, I suppose not," Natasha sighed and then her entire posture shifted. She turned to Clint with a fond smile that he knew few people got to see. "It's good to see you."

Clint straightened away from the tree he was leaning against and opened his arms to allow Natasha to step into his hug. He gripped her tightly for a moment before loosening his hold and kissing her temple as she dropped her head onto his shoulder.

"You've been busy. Avengers still holding together?"

"For now… with who's left. I could've used you these past few years."

"Not sure I'm the Avenger type. Plus I've been kinda busy myself."

"Yes, I can see that. She's beautiful."

Clint inclined his head toward Wanda, who was now making her way up the hill toward them. "She's been eager to meet you."

"Papa?" Wanda asked tentatively as Clint and Natasha separated and turned toward her.

"Wanda," Clint smiled. "This is your Aunt Nat."

Wanda's eyes went wide with awe. "The Black Widow! Wow!"

"It's just Natasha. Nice to meet you, Wanda."

Wanda looked torn for a moment about what to do next and then she rushed forward to wrap her arms around Natasha. Clint heard her, "Hello Auntie Natasha," muffled into Nat's stomach and had to bite his lip when Nat startled, looking more unsure than he'd ever seen her. It took another moment for the tension to ease out of Nat and then she wrapped her arms just as tightly around Wanda. Clint knew at that moment that his daughter had gained another, equally fierce protector. 

"Wanda!" One of the kids yelled from below. "Lunch time!"

Wanda pulled away reluctantly and glanced at Clint for guidance.

"Go on. We'll be inside in a few minutes," Clint urged. "We don't want Nat to see what you're like when you're hungry."

Wanda gave him her customary eye roll, but didn't argue—they both knew how cranky she got without food. After another quick hug for them both, Wanda ran back down the hill and into the house with her friends. 

"Wanda's not a mutant," Natasha said after a moment of contemplation.

"No, she's not, but Xavier doesn't discriminate. We come by every few months with his blessing. Is that why Ross is interested in her?"

"I'm not sure. He's smart enough not to fully trust us with all the intel."

"Other people have tried to attack the school," Clint reminded her. "It didn't go well."

"So why not leave Wanda under Xavier's protection?"

"I gave her that option. She asked to stay with me and I'm not the teacher type. I love Wanda, but dealing with an entire school of other kids…"

Nat shuddered in agreement. "A few months ago, I could have guaranteed you'd be safe at the Avengers compound."

"I'm sorry," Clint responded sincerely. He knew how happy Nat had been with SHIELD and the original Avengers. He had kept himself and Wanda away because he hadn't wanted to disrupt a good point in Nat's life. Now SHIELD was in shambles and half the Avengers were AWOL. Nat didn't need Clint getting embroiled in the mess, but he also knew better than to try and stop the Black Widow from protecting her family. "What do we do now?"

"If you can leave Wanda here for a bit, there's someone I want you to meet."

*  
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^

"That's Coulson."

Of course the agent Natasha wanted him to meet was the same guy Clint had been admiring as he'd walked across the parking lot. Coulson was handsome, even at a distance, and walked with the confidence of a man who knew he could control any situation thrown at him. Clint took a closer look after Nat identified him and caught at least three hidden weapons on Coulson's person—Clint was willing to bet there were more.

Clint watched as Coulson's posture morphed when he entered diner and took on an unassuming air, though he couldn't quite hide the intelligence in his beautiful blue eyes as he glanced around the room. Coulson's gaze finally landed on Clint and Nat in a secluded corner and the openly affectionate smile that spread across his face made Clint's stomach do a flip.

"Natasha," Coulson said warmly as he approached with a hand held out for Nat to take. "It's good to see you again."

"Same to you," Nat responded with equal warmth as she stood and returned Coulson's handshake. She then turned to Clint. "Clint, I'd like to introduce you to Agent Phil Coulson. Phil, this is my friend Clint Barton."

Coulson's eyes widened slightly at Nat's use of the word "friend", which made Clint smile proudly—the title was well earned. Coulson nodded as they also shook hands and Clint couldn't help but appreciate the other man's firm grip and the familiar feel of gun calluses on his palm.

"It's nice to meet you," Clint said as they each took their seats. 

"Likewise," Coulson replied. "Since I doubt that Natasha's started a dating service, I assume you must be a potential asset to SHIELD."

The comment was casual, almost flippant, and was clearly meant to help lighten the mood, but the red tips of Coulson's ears gave him away—that wasn't quite what he meant to say. Clint leaned forward with a smirk and was about to make a flirty comment when an old memory resurfaced and he froze. 

"I know your voice. You're him. The agent from Milan."

"I haven't been to Milan in—"

"Be advised," Clint quoted. "Target is a potential asset. Do not, I repeat, do not engage unless provoked. Disregard my order and you'll find yourself on the first flight to Antarctica." 

Coulson's jaw dropped in shock. "You're Hawkeye."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I not introduce Clint properly?"

Coulson glanced at Nat, wisely chose to ignore her smug look, and turned back to Clint. "You hacked into our comms. You knew I—we were only there to recruit you. Why didn't you show on the roof?"

"One, the roof your team was scoping was too obvious. My choice was another building back. Two, I didn't hack your system. I broke into your van and stole a comm."

"And three?"

"I had other things to take care of." Clint sighed at Coulson's incredulous look. His target in Milan had been a horrible smuggler named Ramirez, who more than deserved to find himself on the receiving end of one of Clint's arrows. "You were too focused on me to notice that Ramirez was holding a six year old boy hostage."

"There were no reports of a kidnapping."

"Brothel madames tend not to trust the authorities."

"Anita still running that bakery?" Nat asked. 

"Yeah, sent Wanda a cake last month for her birthday," Clint answered before addressing the confused look on Coulson's face. "Anita makes a much better baker than a madame."

"So instead of taking out your target, you saved a child and talked his mother into closing her brothel?"

"That's the gist of it, yeah. Plus you took care of Ramirez for me."

"He'll never see anything but prison walls ever again," Coulson assured him. "Are you willingly coming in as a recruit now?"

"No," Clint responded with a shake of his head.

"Not exactly," Nat corrected.

"Then what exactly?"

"Ross is after Clint and his daughter."

"He sent four armed men to her school."

"I heard," Coulson said with a frown that made it clear he didn't agree with the order. "And since you dispatched with his men so easily, Ross is now as interested in you as he is in your daughter…"

"Wanda. She's ten, almost eleven."

"Why Wanda?"

"We're not sure, but she's… gifted, but not a mutant."

Coulson nodded. "I'm aware of Ross' interest in enhanced, non-mutants. The only good news is that he seems to have a short attention span. You're at risk until another, more powerful enhanced stumbles into his radar."

"So we just need to lay low until that happens?"

"Yes and I may be able to help. My base of operations has autonomy from the rest of SHIELD and I trust everyone under my command. They won't turn you over to Ross."

"We would still be putting you all at some risk," Clint pointed out. "You don't know me or Wanda, except that we matter to the Black Widow. Why would you help us?"

"I may not know you personally, but I put together the original dossier recommending your recruitment. It doesn't sound like you've changed significantly since then. If you're willing, I still think you could be an asset to my team, even if it's only for a short period."

"Uh, huh…" Clint responded skeptically. 

"And," Coulson continued with a glance at Nat, "while I trust my team to keep necessary confidences from Ross, it seems like they have been speaking with Agent Romanov."

"What do you mean?"

"My team and I will protect you and Wanda because we have our own gifted child to keep safe."

*  
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^

"Papa, can you braid my hair?"

"Sure, sweetie. Com'ere."

Clint set aside the file he'd been reading and motioned for Wanda to take a seat on the floor in front of him. 

"Can you make two?"

"As you wish!" Clint responded with a kiss to the top of Wanda's head. He dutifully took the hairbrush she handed him and carefully parted her hair into two sections before beginning the first braid. 

They'd now been at Phil's base of operations for almost two months. His team was an eclectic group of people that welcomed them without question and, while Daisy—the gifted child Phil had mentioned—wasn't his daughter, it was clear everyone on base looked at Phil like a father figure. Clint suspected that Phil had a tendency to collect strays with Daisy as a prime example. 

Phil's team had discovered a fourteen year old Daisy hacking into government databases looking for information on her birth parents. Due to an odd series of events, Daisy had ended up with the team for a few weeks and when they were finally able to hand her over to the right authorities, nobody could bear to do so. The team did their best to keep Daisy out of any direct danger, but Daisy herself had issues staying out of trouble despite regular threats that she could easily be sent to a standard foster family. Several months ago, after another series of odd events, they discovered that Daisy had the power to create tremors. It came as no surprise that Daisy and Wanda had become fast friends despite the gap in their ages. 

Clint started on the second braid as he sensed someone walk into the room behind him. The footfalls told him it was Phil even before Wanda called out a greeting.

"Hi Agent Phil!"

"Good morning Wanda, Clint," Phil replied as he came to a stop at Clint's shoulder. "You're good at that."

Clint chuckled. "It took watching how-to videos on YouTube, a lot of practice, and a very patient daughter."

"Papa used to be really, really bad."

"Thank you, Wanda," Clint said wryly and tugged on the second of Wanda's completed braids. "You're all done."

Wanda jumped to her feet, turned, and threw her arms around Clint in a quick hug. "Now you're the best… but you _were_ pretty bad." They grinned at each other and took a moment to remember Clint's more disastrous attempts, before Wanda looked up at Phil. "Is Daisy up?"

The one thing the girls didn't share was their affinity for the morning. Wanda, like Clint, tended to be up at first light while Daisy often stayed in bed until noon. 

"Yes. I saw her in the mess eating leftover lasagna."

"Ooh!" Wanda said excitedly before running off in search of her friend and her share of the food.

"I suppose that means there won't be anything left of your lasagna for the rest of us." 

There was enough of a pout in Phil's voice that Clint had to bite back a grin. "I can make more," Clint reminded him and the way Phil's eyes lit up in joy made Clint's stomach do an appreciate flip.

"I didn't bring you here for your cooking skills," Phil said as he took the seat next to Clint.

"I don't mind. It reminds me of helping Magda cook for the circus when I was a kid."

Phil hadn't been kidding when he'd said he would treat Clint like a potential asset. He'd asked Clint to do a multitude of things on base from evaluating their weapons cache to consulting on a few ongoing case files. They'd only stumbled onto Clint's cooking skills the night it had been Fitz's turn at the stove. Absolutely no one had wanted to attempt the pulsating mass of grey goo he'd placed on the table, and Clint had cooked dinner every night after that. 

"I still can't believe those rumors about your learning to shoot in the circus were true."

"You make it sound like the backstory of a comic book hero. Trust me, it wasn't nearly that exciting. I shoveled a lot more elephant dung than I care to remember."

Phil grinned and they lapsed into a comfortable silence until Phil tapped the folder in front of Clint. "If you don't mind my saying, you don't seem the type to join an organization like Hydra."

Clint shrugged and ran his fingers across the file. He'd finally admitted to Phil that he'd found Wanda while stationed at the Hydra base in Sokovia. It still made his heart clench painfully when he thought about the brother he couldn't save. 

"I didn't realize who I signed up with for a long time," Clint admitted without looking up. "Hydra talked a good game—about making the world safe and wiping some red from my ledger. They kept me away from a lot of the obvious stuff too… which isn't much of an excuse. I think a part of me just wanted to believe I was in a secret faction of SHIELD. That I was one of the good guys."

A warm hand being placed over his finally made Clint look up into Phil's eyes. "You _are_ one of the good guys. Getting Wanda out of Sokovia proves that. Plus," Phil pointed out with a wry smile, "in a way, you were a part of SHIELD. I'd much rather you joined Hydra and turned out to be a better man, than the other way around. I was betrayed by too many people I thought were friends."

"I'm sorry." 

"Agent Coulson, May needs you— Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt."

Both of them looked up at Jemma, whose mouth was hanging open slightly. It wasn't until Clint saw her eyes flick down to the table that he realized he had turned his hand beneath Phil's on the table.

"You didn't interrupt," Phil told her without removing his hand from Clint's light grip. "We were just discussing some history. Did Agent May need me for something?"

"Um, yes. Though she didn't say it was urgent. We have the aerial data on that suspected Hydra base, but I could tell her you were busy and..."

"It's fine, Jemma." Phil gave Clint's hand a quick squeeze before he released it to stand from the table. He paused for a moment before he inclined his head at Clint. "Would you care to join us? You may have some additional insight that could be useful."

"Oh, sure."

By the time they walked into the command center, May had been joined by Fitz, Mack, and Bobbi. 

"What do we have?" Coulson asked.

"Based on the readings from the drone, they definitely have a Chitauri power source inside," Fitz responded.

"Base is remote. We'd never have found it if Clint hadn't given us a general idea of where it was. Limited staff on the ground—eight based on visuals."

Phil frowned at Mack's update and then turned to Clint. "That seems too minimal even for a remote storage facility."

"I'm going to guess it's shielded somehow."

"Correct!" Fitz confirmed. "From what I can tell, they're using the Chitauri technology to power some sort of EMP shield. It even blocks the drone's sensors."

"So the only option is a direct assault."

"Maybe not," Clint said and took a step closer to one of the monitors. "You said it wasn't a physical shield?"

"From what little data I have… it doesn't look like a physical shield. But what good is that? It's not like we're going to send missiles to take out the whole facility. Anything more focused than that would require targeting that we won't have because of the shield."

Clint pointed at some equipment that were placed in several places at the perimeter. "What are these?"

"Likely the emitters for the shield."

"So if we took one of these out, at least a portion of the shield would go down. All we need is a section large enough to let you drop one of your new night-night bombs."

"But we can't take one of those out without computerized targeting."

" _We_ can't, but Hawkeye can," Phil clarified. 

Clint shot Phil a wink and smiled his most charming smile at May. They'd bonded on the first day over their mutual love of the Bus and Clint had been itching for a chance at controls ever since. "Need a co-pilot?"

"Co-pilots don't hang out the back and shoot at things," May responded with the closest thing to a smile she gave anyone who wasn't Daisy. Clint considered it a yes and grinned back. 

"Wait," Fitz interjected. "You're gonna shoot at those controls from the bus? While it's in the air?!"

"He's Hawkeye," Mack answered and ushered Fitz out of the room. "Let's go make sure your new toys are ready."

Jemma, May, and Bobbi filed out after the other two, leaving Phil and Clint alone in the command center. 

"You been handing out your old dossier on me?" Clint asked with a smirk. He'd figured May was up to speed on him, but hadn't expected the others to be aware or trust the reports of his marksmanship. 

"I felt it better they were aware of your skill set. Are you sure you want to head out with us? I had no intention of you taking part in field ops when I made the offer to shelter you."

"You typically limit assets only to on-base work?"

"Of course not, but you're here under our protection, not for us to take advantage of your skills and to put you at risk. You have a daughter."

Clint felt his eyebrows come together in confusion. "I've never hidden what I am from Wanda and putting my skills to use means it's a lower risk operation for everyone else."

"I appreciate that, but you've also said numerous times that you're all Wanda has."

"I _was_ all Wanda had, when we were on our own and there was nobody I could trust to keep her safe. Now I know Nat would do anything to protect her and I'm pretty damn sure you wouldn't just let Ross or Hydra waltz in here and take her away. Would you?"

"Not while I still have breath in my body," Phil said sincerely. Clint took a chance and stepped closer, placed his hand on Phil's arm and gave it a light squeeze. 

"Good or bad, Wanda has seen a lot of things in her life. While I wish a lot of it hadn't happened to her, we can't change what life has made us. Trust me when I say that my daughter will understand the need to take away from Hydra something they could use to inflict pain on others. If she thought we'd let her, she'd probably be on the plane with us."

"No wonder her and Daisy get along."

Clint nodded and decided to broach a subject he'd been meaning to since they'd arrived at the base. "Speaking of… you get that you have a daughter now too, right?"

"Wha—" It took another moment for Phil to understand and then his eyes widened, not unhappily. "Daisy. Did— did she say something?"

"Not directly, but it's pretty obvious that she treats you like her dad. Or at least she does when she isn't thinking too hard about it."

"Oh." Phil's shoulders drooped in disappointment. "I was hoping Daisy had confided in you and Wanda."

"Have you thought about just asking her?"

"I'm not sure how."

"How about saying, Hey Daisy, I love you like my daughter and was kinda hoping you'd be cool with me being your dad now?"

Clint laughed as Phil shoved him away playfully. "Shut up. It's not that easy."

"Maybe not—Daisy _is_ a teenager—but I'm willing to bet it'll be easier than you think. Come on, think about it. Hasn't she spent the last year making sure she stayed? Don't you think it would better for her to know you want her around, not just for her sake, but because you genuinely love her?"

Phil's eyes lit up with hope. "True… Yes, you're right. I'll talk to her. After the op. We should probably head out before dawn tomorrow in case the drone was spotted. Unless you need more time?"

"Nope. I'm ready when you are, sir. With luck, we'll be cutting out Hydra's heart and not just a limb."

*  
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^

The op turned out to be a cakewalk. With the Bus under May's steady hands, Clint made the shot easily which—either by bad design or luck—took out the entire shield. Fitz's night-night bomb did the rest. They were in and out with the Chitauri power source within minutes. The only injury was Tripp complaining of a sore back from the heavy lifting since Mack had volunteered to stay on base with Jemma, Daisy, and Wanda.

No one expected the base to be in full lockdown when they returned. 

"What's going on?" Phil demanded when Jemma rushed out to meet them. Clint breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Wanda standing just inside the doors. 

"There was an accident while the girls were training with Mack. Daisy didn't mean to, sir."

"Didn't mean to what?"

"Mack's in the infirmary," Jemma said and then quickly added, "He's fine. Literally and figuratively shaken up, but healthy."

"So why is the base on lockdown?" Bobbi asked. 

"I was busy with Mack. It all happened so suddenly that—"

"Jemma!" Phil nearly yelled and then visibly forced himself to calm down. "Where is Daisy?"

"We don't know. That's why we locked down. None of the perimeter sensors were tripped, so we know she's still here."

"Cameras?"

Jemma shook her head and Phil quickly turned to the others. "Spread out and find her, then call me. Fitz, make sure the perimeter really hasn't been breached."

"Yes, sir," everyone chorused and dispersed. 

Clint stepped forward and motioned for Wanda, who came running into his arms. "You okay, kiddo?"

"Daisy didn't hurt me and she didn't mean to hurt Mack either."

"We know that. Nobody is going to be mad at her, not even Mack."

"Agent Phil looked mad," Wanda said, looking toward where Phil had disappeared into the base. 

"Nah, that's his scared dad face. He's worried about Daisy. Trust me."

"Okay."

"Wanda, do you know where Daisy is?"

"Um…"

"Wanda, is where she is dangerous?"

"No?"

"Wanda," Clint said a little more forcefully, "I understand you want to keep your friend's secret, but you want to keep her safe too. Show me where she is, please."

Wanda bit her lip, conflicted, but her concern about her friend eventually won out. She took Clint's hand and led him inside. They went down several floors and hallways, to where the base stored extra supplies. Wanda walked him to one end of the large room and stopped in front of the large set of refrigerator doors. 

"Please tell me Daisy isn't inside."

"She usually brings a blanket," Wanda responded as if it made it okay. 

"You understand you are never allowed to hide inside with her again, right?"

"Yes, Papa."

Clint took a deep breath and focused on the issue at hand. He knocked on the door hard enough to be heard inside and spared a thought in thanks that Daisy had at least chosen the refrigerator and not the freezers a door over. 

"Daisy?! It's Clint. I'm coming inside," he warned before opening the door. His arms were still bare from the op and goosebumps immediately bloomed on his skin at the cold temperature. He gestured at Daisy, who was huddled against one of the shelves underneath her blanket. "On second thought, would you mind coming out here?"

Clint braced himself to go inside if Daisy didn't cooperate, but the teenager nodded after a second and stepped outside. She was shivering. 

"Why don't you sit down and we'll talk," Clint suggested as he shut the door. 

Daisy sat on the floor, against the other door. Wanda quickly sat next to her and cuddled close to share her warmth when she saw her friend shivering. 

Clint squatted in front of the girls and waited for Daisy to look at him. "You okay?"

"I'm fine. Is Mack…?"

"Mack is healthy according to Jemma. Right now, everyone is more worried about you."

Daisy shrugged, looked down, and huddled deeper into her blanket. 

"Why the disappearing act?" Clint prompted. 

"Figured they'd stop looking eventually and I could sneak off base."

"Okay… So one, you gotta know they'd never stop looking and two, what would you have done if you'd gotten off base?"

"Don't know. Go somewhere people don't know me. Forget I had any powers. Not hurt anyone again."

"I thought you wanted to be an Avenger?"

"The Avengers don't hurt anyone."

Clint scoffed. "Sorry, kid, but you've got that one wrong."

"Bad guys don't count."

"I'm not talking about them. Have you seen the news footage of what cities look like after an Avengers battle? There is no way to cause that much destruction and not have collateral damage." Clint looked at Wanda for a second, then figured this was something she needed to hear too. "The Avengers do their best to protect civilians, but it's not always possible. People get hurt and sometimes people get killed. What do the Avengers do the next time some wacko tries to destroy the world?"

"They get off their ass and try again," Wanda answered with a confident nod. "Because it's their job."

"That's right." Clint smiled proudly at Wanda before turning back to Daisy. "Now look, I'm not saying you have to stay or that you have to use your powers. That's your choice. If you want to go to high school and live in a normal town, I'm certain Phil and the others will support you. What you can't do is sneak off. They won't ever stop searching or being worried about you."

"Why?" Daisy asked tentatively, in a way that told Clint she was hoping for only one response. 

"Because we love you," Phil answered Daisy from behind Clint. Daisy and Wanda both startled while Clint straightened and stepped aside to allow Phil closer. "All I've ever wanted was for you to be happy. What happened with Mack was accident. If you want to keep developing your powers, we'll figure out a safer way to do it. If you don't, we'll figure that out too. Please just let us figure it out together. I love you, Daisy."

Daisy surged up into Phil's arms while Clint tugged Wanda up and out of the room to give them some privacy. 

They went back up to tell everyone that Daisy had been found, which meant that the lockdown and search could end. Clint had a feeling that Phil and Daisy would need more time to talk, so he hustled everyone into the mess for a quick lunch. Even Mack made it in from the infirmary looking sore, but otherwise well. It didn't take long for everyone to start their usual banter at the table. 

Phil and Daisy walked in about halfway through lunch and, aside from a long hug between Mack and Daisy, everyone seemed content to let the whole event pass without further incident. Clint was okay with that too and was surprised when Phil pulled him aside after lunch. 

"Do you mind speaking with me in my quarters?"

"Oh, sure. Let me just make sure Wanda remembers to finish the schoolwork Jemma gave her. I can meet you there?"

"Sounds good. See you in a few minutes."

By the time Clint knocked on the door to Phil's quarters, he was near bursting with curiosity. He'd been to Phil's office many times, but had never seen his quarters. He could only assume that whatever Phil wanted to discuss was more private than related to SHIELD or the base. 

"Hi Clint. Come in, please," Phil greeted and stepped aside to let Clint walk by. 

Phil's quarters were the same layout as Clint's—a small sitting area on one side with the bed along the other wall adjacent to the bathroom and closet. The only differences seemed to be that Clint's quarters had an extra door that led to Wanda's room and Phil had taken a little time to decorate. Clint could see a few small bookshelves holding books, movies, some scattered knick knacks, and, most notably, a signed picture of the Avengers. 

"Did you want something to drink?" Phil asked as he led Clint to the couch. 

"Nah, I'm good."

They both sat and it wasn't until Clint turned to face Phil that he realized how close together they were sitting. Clint had been good about keeping his attraction to Phil at a simmer, which had been increasingly difficult because of how open, friendly, and generally awesome Phil was on a daily basis. Now, in the intimacy of Phil's quarters, Clint couldn't help notice how blue Phil's eyes were or how well he filled out the tac suit he was still wearing. 

Clint cleared his throat and decided it was probably better for his sanity to get this conversation moving. 

"What did you want to talk about? Daisy? How much did you hear? Sorry if I overstepped in any way."

"I heard all of it and thought you were amazing. That's not what I wanted to talk about… not directly."

"Oh. Okay."

Phil took a deep breath as if steeling himself for what he had to say next. "We received a communique while we were out on the op."

"About Wanda and I?"

"Not directly." Clint raised an eyebrow at the repeated phrase and Phil winced before continuing. "The message was from Ross. He's received some new intel on the whereabouts of the Hulk and he asked all available resources to refocus their efforts on that search."

"So Wanda and I are out of his crosshairs?"

"Possibly, which is why I wanted to talk to you. I didn't want to make the same mistake I almost made with Daisy."

"I'm not sure I follow."

"With Ross focused elsewhere, you no longer need to hide here, but I'm hoping you'll choose to stay anyway."

Phil reached out and placed a hand over Clint's, but Clint wanted to make sure he wasn't misunderstanding. "As an asset?" 

"As an asset, a friend, and hopefully something more… to me at least."

Clint opened his mouth, but couldn't find the words to respond. Nobody had ever looked at him as intently as Phil was doing now. 

"I want you to stay, not just for your sake, but because I like you and I want you to stay," Phil said with a small smile. "Fair warning that I'm not an easy man to deal with. I work too hard and I have a daughter and a team of people to look after. I have trouble telling people how I feel and I'm told I have a tendency to tell bad jokes at inopportune moments."

Clint grinned at that because he considered that trait one of the quirks that made Phil adorable. 

"But you laugh when I make those jokes, you bring me food when I forget to eat while I'm working, and you seem to genuinely enjoy all the chaos around here."

"It's never dull," Clint pointed out, "and I'm not exactly a prize catch either."

"You are a good man and a great, if unorthodox, father. Wanda is a wonderful child because of you. Your ability to care constantly amazes me and watching you today with your bow made me want to tackle and have my way with you."

Clint slid closer and ran his hand up Phil's arm, delighted when the muscles beneath jumped under his touch. 

"You in this tac suit is the sexiest thing I've ever seen, so will you settle for my saying ditto to the rest? I like you too, Phil."

Phil pulled Clint even closer. "So we can move to the tackling portion of this discussion?"

"Yes, pl—"

The rest of Clint's response was swallowed by Phil's mouth settling over his. Instead of the frantic kiss Clint was expecting, Phil's mouth was tender and exploratory. It was the kind of first kiss that led to steady relationships instead of one night stands and Clint returned the kiss with the same intent. 

The first kiss ended and they pulled back to smile at each other before coming back together for another, more heated kiss. Phil had just buried his fingers in Clint's hair to deepen the kiss when there was a muffled boom and the ground beneath them rumbled. They broke apart and waited for the alarms, which followed a second later. 

"Fitz?" Clint presumed and Phil nodded with a sigh. "What are the chances they won't—"

"Agent Coulson to the science lab please," immediately came over the speakers. 

Phil sighed again and stood. He started to step away, but then turned back to Clint with his hand outstretched. 

"Would you care to join me amidst the chaos?"

Clint stood and placed his hand in Phil's. "It would be my genuine pleasure."

~ fin ~


End file.
